Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Science, Sports and Culture 2000 > Trends in Educational Reform Section 2 Q9 What actually is the school advisor system?

Establishing bodies of schools take the ultimate responsibility for schools (in the case of public schools, responsibility will be given to the Boards of Education), but in day to day management of schools, decisions are left to the head teacher of any given school.

Based on this framework, the School Advisor is able to offer opinions and advice in response to requests from head teachers. Accordingly, upon requests from the head teacher, the School Advisor is at ease to speak his or her mind freely about matters that concern the school. At times when necessary, the head teacher listens to the opinions and advice of the School Advisor, which he or she then puts to the use of creating a better school environment by coming to a decision that references these opinions and advice.

Before asking the opinion of the School Advisor, it is also important to sufficiently explain the situation surrounding school activities.

In addition, because the School Advisors give their opinions and advice on an individual basis, there is no recourse to meetings or coordination of opinions to come to a decision. However, it is also of importance that if the need arises, School Advisors have the opportunity to gather together to share and state their opinions.

School Advisors are chosen on the basis of a recommendation from the head teacher, after which they are appointed by the establishing bodies of the school, such as the board of education and the school corporations. In order that the selection of School Advisors accurately reflects the broad opinions of the local community, it is important that they are chosen from the widest field possible.